Career Information

"What do you want to do when you grow up?" You've probably been asked this questions a few times, right? Maybe you've known the answer since you were in elementary school, or maybe you've changed your mind a few times along the way. Perhaps you have no idea what you want to do!

It's normal to be unsure of your career path-especially while you're still in middle school or high school. In fact, many people change their career plans several times during their lives and may continue to modify their goals during college or beyond. At the same time, it is important to have some ideas about your interests and strengths by the time you're getting ready for college. This can help you think about potential majors and ultimately narrow down the colleges that might be a good fit for you.

Through your MESA activities, you have probably learned about several engineering and technology-based careers. Perhaps you have visited an industry site or listened to a guest speaker. What interested you about these jobs? Would any of them be a good career for you?

There are also lots of self-assessment surveys that can help you think about your goals:

Check with your Guidance Counselor to see if any are available at your school
Use the online career information at California Colleges
Check out Career Voyages, which has career information and tips for students and parents.
Interested in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field? Click here for more information about job opportunities, average salaries, education needed, and more.
Thinking about becoming an Engineer?
Check out this video!
It's cool to be an Engineer!
Check out this video!

Remember, you don't have to make any final decisions now. However, it is helpful to have some ideas about careers that you might be interested in. Things like internships, job shadowing, guest speakers, and self-assessments can help you with this process.